Atalanta are preparing to take on Pafos on the first day of the UEFA Conference League group stage, with coach Maurizio Sarri announcing a series of radical changes. The match, which will be held in the New Balance Arena in Bergamo at 9pm, marks the start of the competition for the Nerazzurri after eliminating Hapoel Tel Aviv in the playoffs.
In the context of the season, the Bergamo team is careful to consolidate its position in the group stage, where the competition is increasingly fierce. Sarri opted for a 4‑2‑3‑1 formation, with Gianluca Carnesecchi in goal, Zappacosta, Kristensen, Kolasinac and Bernasconi in defence. In the center of the pitch, Pasalic and Gaetano have the task of connecting the defense with the attack, while Elmas, Raspadori and Zalewski form the wing. The leading role is entrusted to Scamacca, who was inserted in the first minute, as indicated by the official line-ups.
Among the other available players, Sarri left Ederson, Idele, Krstovic, Obric, Rowe, Samardzic, Sonzogni, Sportiello, De Ketelaere on the bench. Sarri also decided to introduce Raspadori and Scamacca from the start of the match, demonstrating confidence in their potential offensive contributions. The coach focused on an offensive approach, trying to exploit the speed of his attackers and the defensive solidity of the central lines.
Pafos, led by Sà Pinto, chose a 4‑3‑3 formation with Majecki in goal, Bruno, Mmaee, David Luiz and N. Ioannou in defence. In the center of the pitch, Pepe, Sunjic and Quina have the task of controlling the game, while Dragomir, Lelé and Biel form the wing. The Cypriot also left a number of players on the bench, including K. Ioannou, Papastylianou, Petrou, Guga, Sema, Anderson, Michele, Alexandre Brito, Evzona, Kais and Correia.
The match will be refereed by Adam Ladeback, with assistants Mehmet Culum and Daniel Yng, and VAR will be managed by Jan Boterberg. The main objective for Atalanta is to start the group stage with a positive result, consolidating their position in the rankings and maintaining high motivation for the subsequent matches. For Pafos, the match represents an opportunity to demonstrate their competitiveness on the European stage and to try to gain valuable points in the group stage. With the start of the group stage approaching, both teams are preparing to give their all to achieve their goals in the Conference League.